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Knockback from Willoughby Council
Just received this email back from Willoughby Council. I am still considering how to respond.
Willoughby City Council – Mowbray Park Reserve Action Plan
Thank you for your comments on the Reserve Action Plan for Mowbray Park.
The request for a mountain bike track through the park has been considered, but is not compatible with the main current uses for this reserve, which are environmental education, recreational walking, and the preservation of native plant and animal habitat.
Both Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai Councils have trails through bushland suitable for mountain bikes. Brochures and maps are available on their websites. There is also a trail at Manly Dam.
Although Willoughby City Council does not have facilities for your particular form of cycling, it does support other forms of recreational bike riding. For example a pump track was recently constructed at Northbridge, adjacent to the Northbridge Golf Club, and there are dirt jumps at Castle Cove, adjacent to the oval.
Requests for mountain bike facilities have prompted consideration of this use of bushland reserves within Willoughby. Having done so, it is clear that because of the relatively small size of our bushland areas, their conservation value, current use patterns and user characteristics, the Council does not believe it will be able to plan for or encourage such use of them.
Thank you for having brought the issue to our attention. The demands on remnant bushland in urban areas are significant. Council’s responsibility is to manage these demands, facilitating the health and survival of natural areas, and conserving them in the interests of the greatest number of those who wish to enjoy them now and into the future.
Frances Davis
Streets to Creeks Co-ordinator
Willoughby City Council
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The last comment is a pretty key one "and conserving them in the interests of the greatest number of those who wish to enjoy them now and into the future". Mobilise the numbers to write back and push the issue.
Not knowing the area, how do you respond to the point about the size of the bushland tracts? Any credence in that point?
The Council obviously doesn't rule things out given the history with the Pump Track and DJ's, it looks here like it is more about putting the case forward for there being a social need.
I wouldn't worry. Pick your battles and target proper access in larger places, or those absolutely needed to make a bigger loop?
Willoughby Council: Been pretty good in my opinion.
Bit of misunderstanding in regards to the amount of facilities around.
Hornsby: Is not that advanced. What trails? It's certainly in the pipeline but non-existent.
Kuringay: xc+dh trails would fit on a bowling green. How about a whole fairway? Just one? How about one from those two public golf courses who don't preform financially. Can we have a fairway or maybe a track around the edge of the course? I'll pay $ to ride it if it's decent, I'll hae a helmet on so I'm not worried about golf balls.
Hi all
I am a member of a newly formed committee that works with Willoughby council to get these mountain bike facilities built and maintained
I think the best way to respond if you would like to help is send an email back, thanking them for Castle Cove DJ's & the Northbridge Pump Track, and them asking them to consider other areas for a XC/ Off road Cycling Loop, if they deem this area is inappropriate
This council has been great so far, but we are still in the process of educating them, on off road cycling facilities. this is all still pretty new to them, and we need to show them that trails can be sustainable these days without the negative affect on the environment. The Bush care group are the ones we need to demonstrate this to
There are some other areas that are being considered for DH and XC, so with enough support from residents asking (nicely) for these facilities, we should be able to get some other places to ride
Good luck boys, give us a yell if u need advice
Council have sent us a couple of new sites to check out in the area and advise of potential. We are inspecting this weekend and Will keep you all updated
At this stage priority is the maintenance day at the Northbridge Pump Track on the Sat 14th May. the rain has hammered it and we need a heap of volunteers to help repair it.
If you can spare a few hours on that day it would be appreciated. With enough people we can add some tweaks as well
Someone should tell Council that plenty bushland has been conserved within Kuringai National Park, so adding a mtb track to Mowbray park will not impact the amount of that type of ecosystem currently being conserved.